First named Maya astronomer identified at Xultun, Guatemala. Researchers identified the first named ancient Maya astronomer/mathematician in history: Sakon Wash, meaning "White-Breasted Fox" The discovery was published by Cambridge University Press The discovery was made at the ancient Maya site of Xultun in northeastern Guatemala, in Structure 10K-2
Sak Tahn Waax ("White-Chested Fox") is now the first named Maya astronomer in history! Found at the San Bartolo-Xultun site in Guatemala, where murals in Structure 10K-2 — first excavated by David Stuart's University of Texas at Austin team starting in 2010 — yielded his name alongside a calendar formula linking Venus and Mars, dated to AD 781, making him the earliest known Classic Maya mathematician-astronomer by name.
Key Facts
- Researchers identified the first named ancient Maya astronomer/mathematician in history: Sakon Wash, meaning "White-Breasted Fox"
- The discovery was published by Cambridge University Press
- The discovery was made at the ancient Maya site of Xultun in northeastern Guatemala, in Structure 10K-2
- The excavation was first conducted by David Stewart and his team from the University of Texas at Austin, starting in 2010, over three seasons
- Murals were found painted on the walls of the structure, with two walls showing images of rulers from the site
- Murals were painted on top of one another, with multiple layers preserved
- 52 advanced calculations were found on alternate walls, along with dates, tables, and images of lunar deities
- One calculation attempted to determine which deities would be associated with the moon on certain days, dating back 935 to 6,073 years from present
- The calculation was signed by its author, Sakon Wash
- The calculations and tables are similar to those depicted in the Dresden Codex
Related site: Xultun — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.
Source: Is a Second Sphinx Buried at Giza? Plus the Moon and a Named Maya Astronomer by The Cosmic Summit